 |
| Research article summary (published 27 Feb 2003): |
The role of social-referential context in verbal and nonverbal symbol learning.
Full Abstract
This study examined the role of social-referential context in 13- and 18-month-olds' mapping of verbal and nonverbal symbols to object categories. Infants heard either novel words or novel nonverbal sounds in either a referential or nonreferential context. In all conditions, an experimenter engaged in a social-referential interaction and the label was produced while the infant's attention was directed to the referent. In the referential condition, labels were produced by the experimenter within the context of a familiar naming routine. In the nonreferential condition, labels were emitted from a baby monitor placed near the infant. The study subsequently tested infants' mapping of the symbols to the referent objects using a forced-choice procedure. Although the results for the 18-month-olds were strongest, infants at both ages showed evidence of learning both words and sounds in the referential condition and failed to learn them in the nonreferential condition. Thus, infants successfully learned both words and sounds under the same circumstances at both ages. These findings suggest that the social-referential context, and not the symbolic form per se, determine infants' success at symbol learning.
Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills
Author information
Author/s: Campbell, Aimee L (AL); Namy, Laura L (LL);
Affiliation: University Honors Program, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA.
Grants: MH61846-02 (Agency:United States NIMH)
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Journal: Child development (Child Dev), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: -2003 Mar-Apr; vol 74 (issue 2) : pp 549-63
Dates: Created 2003/04/22; Completed 2003/08/04; Revised 2007/11/14;
PMID: 12705572, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):
Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.
This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.
MeSH headings (categories)
This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.
Related articles
This article has not been indexed for related articles as yet, however you can still use the live related article search links below.
See a large map of 100+ related articles.